Car load



March 6, 1962 s. E. NAGLER 3,023,712

CAR LOAD Filed Feb. 14, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. STANLEY E. NAGLER BY fl yku wwibgvwowl.

ATTORNEYS March 6, 1962 s. E. NAGLER 3,0

CAR LOAD Filed Feb. 14, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 3a F/6.5a

i w 5% E ii- INVENTOR. FIG. 3 FIG-5b STANLEY E. NAGLER II BY 1% 4 F 60M.

A T TORNE Y3 United States Patent 3,023,712 CAR LOAD Stanley E. Nagler, Box 127, Greenville, Calif. Filed Feb. 14, 1955, Ser. No. 487,983 2 Claims. (Cl. 105369) This invention relates to car loads and more particularly to means for loading railroad cars or trucks with perishable produce in lugs, crates or boxes.

The present invention is an improvement over Patent No. Re. 22,256 issued to A. R. Hoak on January 26, 1943. As in the Hoak patent, the general object of this invention is the provision of means for firmly securing the contents of the car against shifting and at the same time providing adequate spacing between the produce containers to insure proper ventilation.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a less expensive loading arrangement than has been heretofore possible.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of a more stable load which obtains a maximum amount of support from the sidewalls of the car, thus resulting in less breakage in transit.

Yet another object of the invention is the provision of a car load, permitting improved air circulation around the produce thereby enhancing the quality of the goods on their arrival at market. In addition, such improved circulation reduces the time required for precooling of fruits and produce prior to shipment.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a car load that permits faster manual loading and faster mechanical loading when such mechanical loading is available.

Another object of the invention is a car load in which the spacing members are simple, inexpensive and may be readily reclaimed for future use when the car is unloaded.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the specification and from the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one end of a railroad car with the end walls broken away to show the loading arrangement.

FIG. 2 is a horizontal section through one end of a railroad car showing a portion of the load in plan view.

FIG. 3 is a perspective of a corner member.

FIGS. 3a and 3b are fragmentary views of modified forms of corner members.

FIG. 4 is a perspective of an end row spacer member.

FIG. 5 is a perspective of the preferred form of side row spacer member.

FIGS. 5a and 5b are fragmentary views of modified forms of side spacer members.

FIG. 6 is a perspective of a spacer member for the intermediate stacks.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2 the invention is adapted for use in a truck or car having a pair of opposite end walls 1, one of which is shown, and a pair of opposite sidewalls 2, 3.

By the present invention, the lugs, crates or boxes 4 are superposed in stacks and the stacks are arranged in perpendicularly intersecting rows that are parallel to the end walls 1 and the sidewalls 2, 3. Each row of stacks adjacent the end walls 1 is considered to be an end row and the rows of stacks adjacent the sidewalls 2, 3 are considered to be side rows. The remaining stacks inwardly of the end rows and side rows are referred to herein as intermediate stacks.

It will be noted from FIGS. 1, 2 that the side rows of stacks are arranged in engagement with the sides 2, 3 of the car and that the end rows are spaced from the ends 1. In addition, it will be noted that the stacks are transversely and longitudinally spaced apart so that no stack is in engagement with another. It has been found that such an arrangement provides optimum air circulation and by arranging the side stacks in engagement with the sides 1, 2 of the car maximum stability of the load is achieved.

At each corner of the car a corner spacer member 5 is provided that preferably comprises a vertically disposed rectangular length of wood about A" or in cross section and about 64" long. By referring to FIGS. 2, 3 it is seen that the corner member 5 may be placed in the corner of the car before the first unit of the corner stack is loaded. Secured adjacent the bottom of member 5 by nailing or in any other desired manner is a generally Z-shaped clip '6 which is preferably bent to overlie one corner of the member and then projects outwardly from the member as at 7 so as to be received between the crates are made is readily deformed. 'A similar clip 6 may be secured to corner member 5 adjacent to the upper end of said member.

From the above it will be seen that the first unit loaded engages the lower clip 6 thus holding the corner brace in place while the corner stack is completed. After loading, said corner member cannot shift under any circumstances and the corner stack is positively spaced from the end Wall 1.

Loading of the units in stacks is then continued transversely of the car and between each stack of the end row and the end wall 1, an end spacer 10 is provided so that it is supported by end wall 1 and is positioned centrally between adjacent stacks of the end row so as to partially overlie each (FIGS. 1, 2). Each end spacer member 10 is preferably a vertically disposed length of wood about x 2%" in cross section and about 64" long. It will be noted that the loading operator can have no difiiculty in installing the end members 10 and there is no necessity for employing positive means to prevent transverse shifting of said member 10. This is because first, there is little or no tendency for the brace to shift and second, when a car squeeze is employed to forceably shift the stacks toward the end walls 1, the friction created is sufficient to hold the member 10 in place.

After the end row of stacks is completed with a corner member 5 in each corner and end members 10 spacing the adjacent corners of each pair of stacks from the end wall 1, the second transverse row of stacks may be commenced.

At the commencement of loading the second row a side spacer member 15 is first supported against the adjacent sidewall 2 or 3. Referring to FIG. 5 this side member preferably comprises a vertically disposed length of wood about or 1%" in cross section and about 64" long. Clips 16 are secured adjacent the top and bottom of each side member 15 in like manner as clips 6. In this case however, the clip 16 is provided with longitudinally extending projections 17 which are adapted to be received between the adjacent side stacks and the sidewall 2 or 3 of the car. Similar side members 15 are employed between subsequent side stacks as the loading proceeds.

In completing the loading of the second transversely extending row, an intermediate member 20 is provided at the corner adjacent each group of fourstacks. As best seen in FIG. 6, an intermediate member 20 comprises a vertically disposed length of wood 21, preferably about 1%" x 2% in cross section and about 64" long, to which is secured a strip about or 1 /1" in cross section and 64" long. The member 20 thus formed is substantially T-shaped in cross section. When the second transverse row is being completed, the strip 22 is inserted between adjacent stacks of the previous row as best seen in FIG. 2. In this manner the portion 21 of member 20 is in engagement with the transversely extending, sides of the four adjacent stacks. The step of inserting the member 20 is a very simple one for the operator and said member serves to properly space the adjacent stacks apart against any likelihood of shifting.

The continuation of the loading operation in the above described manner is believed to be obvious since the remaining steps are repetitive of the ones already described.

After loading both halves of the car, a car squeeze may be employed to shift the opposite ends of the load toward the end walls and pack the load more closely.

It. should be understood that the above specific description should not be taken as restrictive of the invention as various changes in design may be resorted to with out departing from the spirit of the invention For example, in lieu of clip 6, clips 6' or '6" such as shown in FIGS. 3a, 3b, respectively, may be employed. And in lieu of. clips 16, clips 16 or 16" as shown in FIGS. a, 5b may be employed.

I claim:

1. The method of loading a rectangular car having longitudinally extending sidewalls and a transversely extending end wall with a plurality of rectangular boxes of the same size and shape comprising the steps of: positioning'said boxes in a plurality of stacks of superposed boxes arranged in perpendicularly intersecting rows parallel to said walls with the side rows of said stacks being in engagement with said sidewalls and with the intermediate stacks being spaced from the side rows and from each other, said positioning being accomplished by the steps of progressively adding transverse rows beginning with said end wall and inserting an elongated vertically disposed spacer of T-shaped cross sections in the space between each adjacent four stacks, with the central leg of said spacer inserted between the two previously positioned transversely spaced stacks and with the remainder of said spacer extending transversely whereby said remainder is received between the transversely extending sides of said four adjacent stacks for spacing said four stacks longitudinally.

2. The method of loading a rectangular car having longitudinally extending sidewalls and a transversely extending end wall with a plurality of rectangular boxes of the same size and shape comprising the steps of: positioning said boxes in' a plurality of stacks of superposed boxes arranged. in perpendicularly intersecting rows parallel to said walls with the" side rows of said stacks being in engagement with said sidewalls and with the intermediate stacks being spaced from the side rows and from each other, said positioning being. accomplished by the steps of placing a transverse end row of stacks adjacent said end wall with a plurality of vertically extending spacers of rectangular cross section between said end wall and the adjacent transversely extending corner portions of said end row of stacks, progressively adding transverse rows and inserting an elongated vertically disposed spacer of T -shaped cross sections in the space between each adjacent four stacks with the central leg of said spacer inserted between the two previously positioned transversely spaced stacks and with the. remainder of said spacer extending transversely whereby said remainder is received between the transversely extending sides of said four adjacent stacks for spacing said four stacks longitudinally.

References Cited in'the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 22,256 Hoak Jan. 26, 1943 2,279,522 Price Apr. 14, 1942 2,442,932 Nalbandian June 8, 1948 2,608,165 Pierce Aug. 26, 1952 

